All About Me

One of my favorite activities to engage students in lively conversations with each other is very easy and calls for almost no preparation. Students are placed in groups of four and asked to each take out one clean sheet of paper and a pencil. They now fold their paper twice so they have four equal divisions of space or boxes to work with. For ease in explanation, I also have them number each square. Top left number one, top right number two, bottom left three and bottom right four. I explain that they will be given some easy (and fun) instructions on what to put into each box. They don’t have to worry about spelling because they are not permitted to write anything. All the instructions they will be given will be for them to draw. It can be a concrete image, a symbol, or an idea. I always find it necessary to stress that this isn’t about evaluating art, but is very much about communication. If you want to draw a person, we won’t expect some competition for the Mona Lisa. A stick figure or a lollypop outline is all we will need for the activity. In the upper left corner they are instructed to depict the people in their family. Stick figures, round balls, squiggles are all just fine as long as they mean something to the artist. Do allow a few minutes for this as some students are genuinely perplexed at being asked to draw and need time to get in the right mood. Next in the upper right block students should draw a hobby or sport they especially enjoy. They might draw a tennis racket, a horse, or a book. Whatever they depict should be something they truly like to do in their spare time. The lower left block is for something students have done that they are really proud of. I usually have to explain pride. I ask them to think of something that they have accomplished that makes them happy and warm inside like an excellent play in a ballgame or passing a very difficult course. It might be sitting with a sick relative or giving something up that you really wanted. Now in the lower right block students can put down symbols for their hopes and dreams. Do they want to get married and have children? Do they dream of a new car, an advanced degree? Have them put their dreams symbolically into the last box. If there is time I now direct them to the middle of the paper and have them draw a picture of the one place in the world they would like to visit. Now that they each have a finished sketch of things that are meaningful to them they should exchange papers with the person next to them. They now tell their partner the story of his life from the pictures. There will be many interruptions and corrections which is the purpose of this exercise. By giving students things to talk about that are very personal and in which they are highly invested, they become very motivated and open to share them with others. While these topics are of a personal nature, they are not intrusive and the student is always in the position to choose how much he or she wishes to share. When the noise level indicates that most of the productive interaction has taken place, I ask for a few students to share some interesting insights they learned about their neighbors. This activity promotes conversation, builds community and strengthens student willingness to take risks. If you wish to have a copy of this activity on a step by step power point, please email me.